Last night in Tokyo, Kiwi athlete Geordie Beamish became the first ever New Zealander to win gold in a track event at the world championships.

In the final metres of the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Beamish outsprinted defending champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco to claim the historic title.

You may have seen photos of Beamish earlier in the week after he fell over and was trampled on in the heat.

Remarkably, he recovered from the fall (and the ensuing foot to the face), finished second in the heat and then went on to win the final. Talk about grit!

4
The number of men’s golf players who have had back-to-back seasons with at least six tournament wins since 1960. The American world number one became the fourth on the weekend after winning the Procore Championship by one shot ahead of fellow American Ben Griffin. The other three golfers to achieve the feat are Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Scheffler now has 19 career victories on the PGA Tour and has not finished a tournament outside the top 10 since mid-March.  

"He had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him… Richard's memory will forever remain in our hearts, in the hearts of his fans, and in the sport he loved so dearly."
The family of British boxer Ricky Hatton following his death, aged 46, on Sunday. A former world champion in light-welterweight and welterweight division, Hatton won 45 of 48 bouts across a career that spanned 15 years. The World Boxing Association described him as "not only a champion, but a symbol of grit, passion, and the spirit of British boxing." Hatton died in Manchester and police are not treating the death as suspicious. 

Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636

In Formula One, if two drivers are tied for the most world championship points at the end of the season, the driver who won more races during the season is awarded the title. If the number of race wins is also equal, then officials will refer to who has more second placed finishes (and so on). Points have never been tied in 74 years of racing.

🥊 Conor McGregor has officially dropped out of the running in Ireland’s presidential contest. The former MMA champion had announced his candidacy earlier this year, promising a shake-up of the political status quo. He needed the support of at least 20 members of the Irish Parliament to continue his campaign, which he failed to secure. A poll of 134 Irish politicians by Sky News in March found none of them would support his bid. In November 2024, a jury in a civil case found it was more likely than not that McGregor raped a woman in 2018. McGregor denies the charge. An appeal failed in July.

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

🏉 Justin Holbrook has been appointed the new head coach of the Newcastle Knights, replacing Adam O’Brien after a challenging 2025 season, which saw the Knights finish last on the ladder. Holbrook, who once played for the club and was previously assistant coach at the Sydney Roosters, has head coaching experience with the Gold Coast Titans and led St Helens to UK Super League success. Newcastle finished the season at the bottom of the ladder, and the club believe Holbrook is the right leader to begin their rebuild.

🏉 France will be without flanker Axelle Berthoumieu and captain Manaé Feleu for their semi-final clash with England at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Berthoumieu has been banned for 12 matches for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer in the quarterfinal, while Feleu has received a 3-match ban for a dangerous tackle in the same game. Both are appealing the decisions. Their absences are a major blow to Les Bleues as they take on the world No. 1 side, England.

Did you know: your immune system plays a crucial role in sports 

Whether you’re out on the field or training for a final, putting your immune health first will make all the difference. 

A balanced diet, regular exercise, and a consistent sleep schedule play an important role in keeping your immune system in check. But for those wanting an extra top up, Blackmores’ Immune Rapi-Melts are the perfect solution.

Designed to support immune system health and relieve fatigue when dietary intake is inadequate, these melt on your tongue supplements are perfect for on-the-go moments. 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. 

Lleyton Hewitt has claimed the video evidence used to suspend him after he pushed a 60-year-old anti-doping official was manipulated. 

Here’s what to know.

The Australian Davis Cup captain was last week banned for two weeks and fined $AU30,000 after an independent tribunal found he had pushed a 60-year-old chaperone following Australia’s Davis Cup semi-final defeat to Italy in November 2024. 

Hewitt says the footage misrepresents what happened and is weighing an appeal. 

His suspension runs from 24 September to 7 October, though it was delayed to avoid impacting Australia’s Davis Cup qualifiers which were played over the weekend.

The International Tennis Integrity Association responded to Hewitt’s claim, telling Nine newspapers: “The video footage was not manipulated, and if Mr Hewitt believed it was, then he had the opportunity to raise this allegation at the hearing.”

On Sunday, Australia lost its tie against Belgium 3-2, with Aleksandar Vukic losing in three sets in the deciding singles match to Raphael Collignon. The result means Australia missed out on a place in the final eight of the Davis Cup for the first time since 2021. 

The Australian team has had great success at the tournament in recent years, finishing runner-up in 2022 and 2023 and losing in the semi-final in 2024 to eventual winners, Italy.

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up.

The athletics world championships are well and truly underway in Tokyo, having already produced some highlights that will live on the collective memory of fans for a long time to come. 

Here’s what to know. 

Yesterday morning saw the men’s marathoners take to the streets of Tokyo. After 42.2 kilometres in gruelling conditions, three men entered the stadium together with under 400 metres left to race. 

Ultimately, it came down to a photo finish between Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu and Germany’s Amanal Petros. Simbu edged out Petros by 0.03 seconds. A day earlier, Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s marathon by a margin of just two seconds. 

Last night, Australia won its first medal of the championships courtesy of pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall. Marschall finished third after clearing 5.95 metres while Sweden’s Armand Duplantis stole the show in the event, breaking the world record for the 14th time with a leap of 6.30 metres. 

Marschall said: “It would’ve been a crazy night had I jumped six metres. But 5.95 and a bronze medal and the first medal for the team at this Championship, I can’t complain with that. I’m super happy with how I performed.”

On Sunday night, the 100 metre sprints saw big upsets. In the men’s race, Oblique Seville (9.77) became the first Jamaican world champion since Usain Bolt in 2015. The 22-year-old edged out fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson (9.82) and American Olympic champion Noah Lyles (9.89) to take the title.

In the women’s 100m, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran a record world championship time of 10.61 to claim gold. Jefferson-Wooden, who won bronze in Paris, proved too fast for Jamaica’s Tina Clayton (10.76) and Saint Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred (10.84).

Tonight, the women’s 1500m final is scheduled for 11:05pm, and all eyes will be on Jess Hull to see if she can convert her impressive form this season into a world championship medal. Of all the athletes in the field, only world record holder Faith Kipyegon has run a faster season best than Hull this year.

Hull told Australian Athletics: “I don’t want to settle for silver or bronze, I want to have a challenge at the gold. It doesn’t mean I’m going to get it but I want a fighting chance of it.”

Australia’s Yual Reath will also be competing in the men’s high jump final, which begins at 9:36pm. At 25-years-old, it marks Reath’s first major championship final. 

The heats of the men’s 800m will also begin tonight with Peter Bol, who placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, set to begin his campaign for a world championship medal. Bol has had a remarkable season so far, having set two Australian records, and comes into the event ranked ninth in the world. Bol is in heat four at 9:02pm (AEST). 

Day four in Tokyo begins at 8.35pm (AEST) and can be watched on SBS and Channel 9.